Absolutely the Strangest . . .

looking critter I've ever come across! He was huge! I thought at first it was a child's rubber toy that had been dropped - until it started moving. it's a Hickory Horned Devil Caterpillar who will become a Royal Walnut Moth (according to Google). Looks fierce but is quite harmless. And yes, he really is that aqua blue color.

[jo]

I was going to suggest it was a childs toy also... That is quite something, what a find!

[Lynne]

Nice use of selective color

[ShirleyB]

Very strange creature. I also thought it was a kids toy when I first saw it. Fantastic find and capture.

[Islandgirl]

Wow very strange looking.................nice color though!
Great find Milanie!

[GaryW]

It looks like something from Mardi Gras!! Very colorful.

[Tony]

Agree, it is strange. No doubt it will become an amazing butterfly or moth.

[Alison Hewitt Bailey]

Goodness, it *is* strange - like some alien being! No wonder you thought it was a toy, I would have thought the same if you hadn't said. Amazing find and capture.

[Gayle Sears]

I love the color. The critter, not so much. Nice capture tho.

[Ann]

Wow , very unusual looking.fav.

[Milanie]

@lynne5477 No, actually this is straight out of the camera with just a small crop. He was on a bank above the river where there was just river mud/sand and rocks.

[Dianna Coile]

Strange all right! Great shot!

[Sue Jenkin]

it does look like a toy, or something from a B monster movie, interesting capture

[mzbull]

Great shot but that's just plain creepy

[Barb Newcomb]

Very pretty colour - great capture.

[Rick]

Agree with mzbull. Great shot, but this is just really creepy. Sort of looks like one of the costumes in the Chinese New Year celebrations. :-)

[Taffy]

Egad -- it really doesn't look real, but it's absolutely fascinating.

[Kim]

So unusual, but such a pretty color.

[Carolyn]

Great find! I've never seen anything like it. Wonderful focus and color on this strange little creature. Thanks for sharing!!

[Rosan]

Wow, looks like some sort of alien creature!

[aikimomm (phoebe)]

Nice job of capturing and treating this funky critter!

[Dianne]

Oh my goodness - what a huge creature.

[Issi Bannerman]

He looks quite fearsome! Great find!

[Denise Wood]

Absolutely amazing :) Fav

[Imaginings]

This looks like a caterpillar from the moths of the Saturniidae family.
Possibly from Citheronia regalis, whose larvae (caterpillars) are known commonly as Hickory horned devil caterpillars.
Great find

[Christine Webb]

fab fav gorgeous colours

[Irene Marshall]

What a bright colourhe wouldn't survive long in the open, great find.

[sally agnew]

How interesting, love the multiple antennae :)

[Phil Cameron]

Fav so I can check him out . I also though he /she was a toy !
would not look astray in a Chinese street carnival

[Ann Williams]

I thought he was a creature from one of those Japanese cartoons that children are so fond of these days. Amazing colour and character.

[Rick Schies]

The prettier they look the more dangerous I always assume

[Elyse Klemchuk]

Look at the bright color! Wow!

[Lady in red(Denise)]

That is very different to anything I've ever seen

[Diane]

It looks like a toy as the coloring is so unreal! Nice find!

[Yeshanghai]

Great find and amazing capture

[Janiskay]

Here I thought you had a plastic caterpillar like my plastic snake from yesterday. Doesn't! Look too friendly! Great find and capture!